Don't Look Away It's only Life
by MattieK
Summary: all WAS well in Konoha. no missions, blue skies, and Hinata Hyuga was finally getting things right. until strangers show up in their town, then everything goes topsey-turvy. eventual KibaXHina, and other couples too! please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Hinata sat at the counter of the bar, sipping her cold water out of an icy beer mug, wiping her hand on her mouth after every

Hinata sat at the counter of the bar, sipping her cold water out of an icy beer mug, wiping her hand on her mouth after every sip. She had come to Kamakaru's bar that day acting on the strangest whim. It was like her gut or her conscience or something had told her she should. She had heard Kiba talking about it vaguely a few days prior, yet it had meant nothing to her until it popped into her head that day. She, however, had no interest in beer.

Hinata had no missions that week, since all was pretty much well in Konoha. She had taken her spare time to train, hang out with her girls, and - most unusually - explored the town. She realized she had never done that before.

She had walked through town, looking, and occasionally buying something that met her fancy. She had stopped, however, at a stand that sold beautiful hand-woven bags to purchase a tiny little blue bag with white shells on it. Just as he was reaching into her wallet for money, saw something. At first she thought it was nothing, then when she did a double take, she clearly saw a gray-cloaked figure behind the jovial man selling the bag. She'd realized it was nothing when she caught the salesman's eye who turned to see what she'd been looking at, and saw a gray coat hanging from a coat rack.

He'd sold the bag to her skeptically.

She wiped her mouth and spun around on the barstool, giggling to herself. She spun a little faster each turn, until her stomach told her to stop. She halted, and positioned herself to face towards the large sliding screen door that was kept open, so that light flooded in to the dimly lit bar from the bright streets of Konoha.

She looked around the car quickly to see if anyone had noticed her spinning frenzy, and was relieved that most people's attentions were on their drinks or their neighbors.

"Can I have a re-fill, please?" she asked the bartender as kindly as possible. She must have looked like she was waiting for someone, the barman had been watching her, confused.

"sure sweetie." He replied in a very paternal way. He quickly refilled her mug with chilled water, adding a little martini umbrella.

She said thank you, and then turned to face the door Just in time to see two young men walk in.

One of them was wearing a green chunin vest, sporting the traditional black spiky ponytail, and next to him the shaggy-haired teenager was wearing a black leather jacket and a fanged smile. They were none other than Shikamaru Nara and, her best friend, Kiba Inuzuka.

"Hinata, hey! You looking _good _today!" Kiba shouted, striding haughtily across the bar to her, attracting WAY too much attention. She couldn't help blushing.

"Kiba, settle down, un." Shikamaru grumbled. "hi Hinata." He added grumpily, sitting down.

"Shikamaru," she acknowledged. She liked Shikamaru. "Kiba, what have I told you about those food pills you eat?" she asked jokingly.

"I know, I know. They make me hyper and mentally unstable, but-" he plopped down on a barstool and put kicked his feet up on the counter, "an addiction is an addiction."

"then it's time for an intervention." Said Shikamaru seriously.

"oh, come on man, buy a drink. you could use it!" Kiba said, knocking Shikamaru on the shoulder.

"great plan. Do you think they'll mind that I'm underage?" Shikamaru replied sarcastically.

"ah, what's one more year?"

"Shikamaru, why would you want a drink anyway?" Hinata wanted to know.

"Temari dumped him." Kiba said, flicking a bottle cap across the room, then making a triumphant fist when it hit someone's head.

"again?" asked Hinata sympathetically.

"yep." Shikamaru replied dully. "I'll never understand troublesome women." Hinata detected remorse in his tone, she wondered why they broke up, but thought it best not to say anything.

"don't worry Shikamaru, she really does like," Hinata touched his arm comfortingly. He made a "whatever" face at her, making her giggle.

"not after yesterday…" he mumbled. Kiba didn't seem to hear. Hinata wondered what he was talking about.

Her phone buzzed at that exact moment. She jumped n her seat, making bark with laughter. She pulled out her blue slide phone, seeing that she had a text from Ino. She hated texting.

It read:

Operation get 1010 nd Neji 2gether commences pronto

Meeting the dango shop.

Operation "hook up Neji and Tenten had been commencing every week for three years. And now, every day for 2 weeks. Ino didn't play. Ino also disregarded completely the _feelings _of her fellow ninjas in exchange for their perfect matching color compatibility.

Never mind the fact that they didn't see each other _in that way, _so long as they both looked good in purple, she was good. Hinata responded to the text very slowly, for lack of hand/eye coordination.

K I'll be ther sprn

She meant "soon."

hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter…

REVIEW PRETTY PLEASE!!

-suggestion, criticism, and corrections are WELCOME WITH OPEN ARMS.


	2. Chapter 2

**THANK YOU WONDERFUL READERS!!**

There was something weird going on in Konoha, Kiba decided.

On his first day back from a _very _boring mission a few days earlier, he had been walking to Shikamaru's house to chilax when out of nowhere, a kunai jetted out of the sky. He dodged it easily, and it dug itself good into the ground exactly where he had been 2 seconds earlier.

Akamaru was not as blasé about it as Kiba had been, however. The dog jumped about three feet in the air, and then ran over to a big rock and began clawing at it. Kiba sniffed the air, but smelled only the nearby woodsy smell that Shikamaru always had going for him.

It should have been nothing, a stray kunai from the training grounds bye some idiot. But when he took the knife to his sensei, her face drained, and Kurenai wasn't one to worry often. She refused to let him have it back.

On top of all this kunai business, Hinata was being a little strange too. No, he didn't want to say it, but it was true: Hinata was being _flirty._ She had told him he looked "cute" trice in one week, and given him a hug almost every time they parted.

Today was no exception. As he expressed his wishes to not get involved in the Neji and Tenten conspiracy, she gave him a sweet, friendly, tight hug, a very Hinata-ish hug, a very un-Hinata-ish thing to do. _What…ever._ He thought sarcastically. He smiled at himself.

As he walked home he saw Naruto and Sakura walking together, probably to join in on the match-making fun. He was immediately reminded of board games.

Every time he went over to Naruto's apartment, he played a game. He went through the list in his head: he went over to Neji's house when he wanted to train; he went to Shikamaru's house when he wanted to chill (this involved a lot of cloud watching); he went to Shino's house when he wanted to talk about girls (Kiba usually did most of the talking); he went to Choji's house for food ('nuff said); and he visited Naruto when he wanted to have fun.

He visited the girls for obvious reasons.

He arrived at his own door and retreated to his room as soon as he heard his mother and sister arguing over what food was bet for their dogs.

Akamaru followed him into his room and laid down on his monstrous doggie bed. Kiba took to his own bedright after turning the radio on. "Stolen" by dashboard confessional was playing. He flipped the channel, but "I Will Follow You into the Dark" was playing on that one.

He quickly turned the radio off, afraid the love songs would take over his brain if he didn't.

**thank you for reading…. Please review!!**


	3. Chapter 3

There was something weird going on in Konoha, Kiba decided

There was no way.

No effing way.

Tenten was going to go through with this AGAIN so that her friends could watch reality TV minus the TV.

Neji was great. Really. He was a nice guy when he wasn't cranky. He was cool. And strong. Tenten actually had to try when fighting him. And he was good-looking.

But matters were getting out of hand.

Sakura and Ino had finally lost it, and had begun wedding preparations, while Hinata tried desperately to keep them under control. Temari was usually around for these masochistic plans, but she disregarded her duties as best friend. Tenten had given up asking for help when Temari had told her the way to fix it would be to give neji a strip tease. When Tenten had followed this comment up with a well-strung line of some of the nastiest words she knew, Temari had just replied: "It builds character."

_It. Builds. Character. _

"Tenten, darling, come on out! We want to see how fabulous you look!"

"no matter how fabulous I look, it will never match my anger." She seethed, trying to sound absolutely frightening.

"oo, she must be angry" she heard Sakura say.

_Ya think?_

The four other kunoichi were standing outside Tenten's bedroom door. As soon as they had arrived at her apartment, they had thrust a bag of clothes into her hands and shoved her in her room, Sakura promising that they wouldn't let her out until she had then on, Ino promising that they would know if she escaped, Hinata promising that they loved her, and Temari promising that Neji Hyuuga builds character.

She had the clothes on. IF these pieces of fabric could be classified as _clothes. _It was a jean mini and a light pink halter-top. "Okay, I'll go through with this, but I'm not wearing these clothes." They burst into the room, and minutes later, she was at Irashi's sushi bar, having been dragged by her so-called friends…wearing the clothes.

Hm. Maybe she should have taken them OFF before she said she would go through with it. She cursed her stupidity.

She could see tomorrow's headlines:

BRUTAL TRIPLE MURDER: TEENAGE GIRLS FOUND DECAPITATED!

Hinata would be spared.

Tenten smiled.

But then her head drooped. She could never kill her friends.

Neji was already there, too smart to consider the consequences of him NOT being there.

"alright, you two have fun! We'll be watching!" Sakura sang. They danced to the back of the restaurant and took a seat.

"Neji, my apologies cannot be put into words." She said seriously.

"it's alright Tenten, I know." He said in his stoic tone.

"on the bright side, Temari and Shikamaru broke up!" Tenten said cheerfully.

"ah, giving them a distraction." Neji cracked a smile, clearly impressed with Tenten's genius.

"yep. Pray to HEAVEN someone brings it up." She said seriously. As if on cue, she heard Sakura and Ino say together: "you WHAT?!" Tenten breathed a sigh of relief. "oh thank the dear lord." She said. "so what's new since last week?"

"not much," Neji admitted. "my uncle's debating whether or not I should take up an instrument."

"and which instrument would you take up if said uncle decides you should?"

"bagpipes."

She bit her lip, poorly hiding her weirded-outness. "really?"

He shook his head. She burst out laughing.

"Ohmygawd ohmygawd ohmygawd!" Tenten heard from behind her. She turned around to see Temari over to the table by Ino and Sakura, Hinata trailing behind the. "Tenten, dates over." Ino said. "I know you really wanted t0o see Neji, but we have a crisis on our hands." Ino shot Temari and anxious look.

"is the crisis unavoidable?" Tenten began sarcastically. "because me and Neji were just about to rent a hotel room." She took Neji's hand that was resting on the counter and began stroking it.

"Enough jokes, Tenten! This calls for an emergency girl gathering!" Squealed Sakura.

"alright, alright." Tenten said standing up. "sorry about running out on our date Neji. Talk to ya later." And she followed the girls out into the blinding sunlight, almost sad to go.


End file.
